Union asks how much pressure Richers put on M'boro driver

THE Transport Workers' Union wants to know what pressure Richers Transport put on its Maryborough driver to get where he was going following a semitrailer rollover on the Bruce Hwy at Caboolture on Tuesday.

Transport Workers' Union Queensland State Secretary Peter Biagini asked how much responsibility was on the chain of command.

"This driver has crashed performing his job, and we now need a full workplace, health and safety investigation into why it happened," he said.

"The TWU fully support this driver, who is lucky to be alive."

"We want to know what pressure Richers put on this driver to get where he was going."

"How long and how far had he already driven, and how far was he going?"

"When was the unload window and if he missed it, how many hours or potentially days would he be sitting waiting while not being paid?"

"These pressures are what contribute to truck crashes and, thankfully, with the introduction of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the pressure will start to be removed from drivers."

Richers was contacted for a response but a spokeswoman said the company had a policy not to comment.

About 11.20am on Tuesday, police said, a semitrailer travelling north on the Bruce Hwy lost control, rolling and coming to rest across the southbound lanes of the highway.

The driver, a 42-year-old Maryborough man, was taken to the Caboolture Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Mr Biagini said the tribunal, introduced by the Australia Government on January 1, would investigate companies and set industry pay and conditions standards.

"The tribunal's first priorities will be on the retail, livestock, bulk grain, interstate long distance and intrastate long-distance sectors," he said.

"A truck driver's job is to drive, yet when they are involved in a crash, a workplace, health and safety investigation is not being carried out.

"Only through a combination of the tribunal and workplace investigations will the truth about the pressures being applied to drivers come out."